TNB resumes smart meter installations

Following a temporary lockdown suspension, Malaysia’s electricity utility Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has resumed the installation of smart meters.

The company expects to install 600,000 meters before the end of the year to bring the total deployed to over 1.8 million.

TNB Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Project Director, Ir. Mohamed Ghous Ahmad said in a statement that the focus of the installations in this early phase will be on high-rise buildings with management bodies located in the capital Kuala Lumpur as well as in the nearby Selangor, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya.

The company is concerned to ensure the adherence to safety protocols, including the vaccination of frontline workers.

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As of June 30, 2021, 1.22 million TNB customers had smart meters installed in Klang Valley in greater Kuala Lumpur and Melaka in the country’s southwest.

Smart meter users get to enjoy various features including monitoring and managing their electricity consumption through myTNB portal and application, with more than 60% of recipients using the facility. Users can track their usage in both money terms and kilowatthours as well as keep a tab of the impact of their energy usage on the environment.

TNB launched its smart meter rollout in 2016 with an initial target of a nationwide rollout by 2021. This was subsequently extended to 2026 to reach more than 9.1 million households.

The smart meters form an integral part of TNB’s smart grid plans including automated monitoring and control and integration of renewable generation with a 2025 target of 8.3GW corresponding to 31% penetration.

To advance the smart grid TNB is reported to be planning an investment of RM9 billion (US$2.1 billion) annually over the next four years.